The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole of the Court of Appeal for elevation to the Supreme Court and approved the appointment of 35 judicial officers for courts across several states.
According to a report by The Nation newspaper, the decisions were reached at the Council’s 110th meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja and chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.
Justice Oyewole, who currently heads the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal, is a former judge of the Lagos State High Court. He is widely known for presiding over the 2009 money-laundering conviction of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the NJC said it approved 27 candidates for appointment as judges of various State High Courts. Six nominees were recommended for the Borno State High Court, four for Niger State, six for Plateau State, four for Delta State, five for Ekiti State, and one each for Benue and Taraba States.
The council also recommended the appointment of six Kadis to the Sharia Courts of Appeal in three states—three for Niger State, two for Taraba State, and one for Katsina State.
In addition, two candidates were approved for appointment as judges of the Customary Court of Appeal in Delta State.
According to the NJC, all recommendations followed a comprehensive screening process that included the review of public complaints and interviews conducted by a seven-member Interview Committee, in line with the 2023 Revised NJC Guidelines and Procedural Rules for the Appointment of Judicial Officers.
